Swaps-- How do you plan?

So when you sign up for a swap do you start planning in  your mind what you will make? I do and sometimes I make a list, I also spend time looking for ideas on the computer. Very rarely do I ever make what's on my list, I either changed my mind or started with a project and zigged when I should have zagged but still like the final product. Below our a few projects I made for a Thank's Giving swap. The rag table mat was what I planned to make, the center where I stitched Prim Blessings was stained darker with  my coffee mixture but I forgot that I needed to wash it to help with the ragging and it's no longer dark. :-) 

I'm pretty sure this is a Tennessee Ridge pattern, I've made it before and sewed lines for the ridges and only coffee stained it. This time time I used watered down orange and coffee stain.

This turkey is based on Simply Prim's turkey , Check out her turkey, I love the one she made, I was going for simpler. I spent a lot of time googling  prim turkeys and finally made a tail piece and sewed lines up and down the tail piece. Getting the tail piece to stand and stay the way I wanted was a little crazy. I used a piece of red felted sweater for the gobbler.

The stocking -- I started out planning on making just a snowman ornament from an old quilt but it turned into the stocking.

So what about you---How do you plan out your swap making?